After the Storm - A Homily based on Psalm 13

Psalm 13
September 3, 2017
The Weekend After Hurricane Harvey

“Why did this happen? Why did God allow this storm, this river flooding, to happen? Why didn’t He spare us from this disaster?”

These are the questions we are only starting to hear. You will hear it again and again. You might even hear these words from your own mouth, or your child’s mouth, or your spouse’s mouth. You might even hear it from me, on occasion.

The first thing I want you to know is that phrases like that are not sinful when they are cried out to God in distress, in the time of loss, in the time of catastrophe. This is the human condition: we realize our frailty; we recognize the majesty of God. We know God is good; what we see is something that is terribly, terribly wrong. And, in our mind, God’s goodness stands in opposition to this…this…this  mess. And we try to make A equal B: If God is good, He wouldn’t let this happen. But, this did happen – I lived through it! I see the destruction all around me!- so is God good? It doesn’t make sense. And we try to square it and we simply do not understand. “Why, O Lord?”

Here is why I say this is not sinful: these words are echoed similarly in many of the Psalms. Called the Lament Psalms, they show the cries of the faithful people of God of old. Take Psalm 13 for example. In this Psalm, the writer cries out “How Long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (v. 1)

God desires, wants, openly asks us to come to him in all of our griefs and sorrows and so, we do. And to cry out to him in agony, in distress, in loss, in tragedy with the cry of hopelessness - this is not wrong.

But, we must be careful to not demand an answer: “God, you owe me an answer because I’ve been a faithful church goer; I’ve been helping the needy; I give a weekly offering; I’m really a pretty good person and don’t deserve this…” You will note in verse 2, the Psalmist does say, “Consider and answer me,” but he stops there with his request. To go any further and demand an answer from God attempts to place us as His equal, and we are not. To elevate ourselves to a position where we think we deserve answers and explanations is to break the 1^st and 2^nd Commandment. This we cannot do.

But, what we can do – what we will do – is humble ourselves before the power and majesty of God and repent.

Repent? What do we need to repent for? Are you saying that this storm is our fault? That Port Lavaca, or Rockport, or Victoria, or Goliad, or Wharton, or Kingwood, or Houston, or Crosby are as modern Sodom and Gomorrah? Is God punishing our state for our Texas sized egos, or chicken fried steaks that aren’t good for our cholesterol, or the “evil” big oil industry, or corporate and political greed, or the invention of Astroturf?  

No – I am not saying that at all, and anyone who dares to claim God caused this because of Texas’ sins is foolishly (and incorrectly) daring to speak for God where He has not revealed His word --- and that is dangerous ground. Just ask Job’s friends. But I will say this: God uses times like this to humble us, and to let us see ourselves for who we are, and God for who He is. And, with the crystal clear vision accorded us in the Bible, we are left one conclusion: Repent, for the Kingdom is near.

Repent is not a popular word. It is not an easy word. But it is a necessary word, for it reminds us of our place before God. He is God; we are people. He is creator; we are creation. He is holy; we are far from it. We are sinful beings.  And, seeing the terrible destruction of these past few days, we are reminded that even creation itself suffers under the burden of sin, see Romans 8:22, “All creation groans as if in childbirth...” God did not create the ocean to storm – but it roared to life. God did not create the winds to shear apart trees and buildings – but it huffed and puffed and blew the buildings down. God did not create waters to flood and destroy life (human, animal and plant) – but it swirled and rose and overwhelmed. Creation is fallen; we are fallen; and we repent as we acknowledge our sinfulness before the Almighty God. Lord…have mercy.

A couple days ago, after they got home from evacuation, a young girl was riding in the back seat of her momma’s car when she spotted a cross standing resolute in a field. Pointing it out, she correctly declared: Dat’s a kwoss, mommy. Dat kwoss is whehe Jesus died. And dat means God’s gonna take kawe of us.”

That little girl spoke with the voice of a prophet and did not even know it. She points us all to the cross of Jesus where all of the destructive chaos that has been caused by sinfulness has been accounted for in full. There, at the cross, the entirety of man’s failures and shortcomings has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. And at the Cross, Christ not only redeemed you and me, and our fellow Texans and Louisianans, but even creation itself. Jesus died to rescue even the Gulf, and the coast, and wind, and the trees, and all other things that cry out for His mercy.

This is what the Psalmist means when he says: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

He has been good to me. You know, it is no small thing that the same water that caused so much destruction is also used to baptize and give life. It was through the water that God saved Noah; it is through the flooding of your baptism that God saved you. It is no small thing that the same wind that caused so much loss is also the same breath of God that gives faith. It was the sound of the wind that brought the Jerusalem Pentecost crowd to hear the Gospel preached in their own language. It wasn’t by Hurricane Harvey, but through Water and Word, by grace through faith, our Lord Jesus Christ has taken care of you into eternity.

And it is no small thing that our Lord Jesus Christ is working through you and me and through all of you who have lent a hand this past week…whether cutting trees, or picking up an extra bag of ice for a neighbor, stretching an extension cord from your generator to the widow next door, patching a roof, delivering a hot meal, or simply listening, Christ is at work in you and through you. It’s very simple: it’s called, “Love your neighbor.” And in doing that thing that seems oh, so insignificant to you, it is tremendously huge to whom you help. And whether they are a Christian or not, whether they know Jesus or not, in that moment what they see – even if they don’t fully realize it – is God’s love, once shown on the cross, is again being shown to them through you.

As I close, let me say this: if I can help you, please don’t hesitate to call, email, text, or just drop by. I am not a therapist, but I am a parish pastor. I cannot promise that I will show up as a Divine FEMA loaded with cash – I wish I could. But, by the grace of God, it is my privilege to listen, to pray, to encourage with the Word of God and to bless – all in the name of Jesus Christ. If I can do any of those with you or for you, please let me know how. I am happy to do so.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.